Tito Jackson Dies After Heart Attack in New Mexico Shopping Center
Tito Jackson, a founding member of the legendary Jackson 5, passed away on Sunday after suffering a medical emergency while driving from New Mexico to Oklahoma, where he had recently relocated. New Mexico police reported that a passerby noticed Jackson in distress around 6 p.m. near the American Heritage Plaza shopping center. The driver flagged down authorities, who transported the musician to the hospital via ambulance, but he was pronounced dead a few hours later.
Steve Manning, Jackson’s former manager, stated that the 70-year-old singer had a heart attack during his cross-state journey. However, an official cause of death has not yet been determined, pending an autopsy and ongoing investigation.
Jackson’s sons—Taj, 51, Taryll, 49, and TJ, 46—announced their father’s passing in a heartfelt statement shared on their band 3T’s Instagram account Monday morning. “It’s with heavy hearts that we announce that our beloved father, Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Tito Jackson, is no longer with us,” they wrote. “We are shocked, saddened, and heartbroken.”
They went on to describe Tito as an “incredible man” who always cared deeply about others and their well-being. The brothers reflected on the different roles he played in people’s lives, whether known as Tito from the Jackson 5, “Coach Tito,” or “Poppa T.” They asked fans to honor his memory by leading with love, as he always did.
Tito Jackson rose to fame in the 1960s alongside his brothers—Jackie, Jermaine, Marlon, and Michael—when the Jackson 5 became international stars with Motown hits like “ABC.” Managed by their father, Joe Jackson, the group left an indelible mark on the music industry, earning a place in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1997 and receiving three Grammy nominations.
In 2016, Tito launched his solo career with the release of his album Tito Time. Despite continuing to make music and perform up until his death, Tito had recently moved away from the entertainment hub of Hollywood. In 2023, he shared with Tulsa World that he had found peace in Claremore, Oklahoma, a small town of less than 20,000 residents, stating that he had long wanted to experience life away from the West Coast.
The Jackson family, mourning the loss of a beloved father and brother, remembered Tito as a man full of love, whose presence will be deeply missed.
